Card-index.



J. BARKER.'

CARD INDEX.

APPLICATION EILED DEC.24; 1917.

N o U ,Patented Mar. 4,1919;

armmgz l JAMES BARKER, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CARD-INDEX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iatented Mar. 4, i919.

Application tiled December 24, 1917. Serial No. 208,570.

To all whom z5 may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES BAKKER, a citizen of the 4United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the .county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements in Card-Indexes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to card indexes and refers more particularly to a new and improved card index of the type in which a.

plurality of cards are arranged in a frame in overlapping relations@ that the name of the person whose account or other data is earned on the card can be observed and thus forms an index for the card.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a new and improved card index of the character above mentioned in which the name of the individualor other .index matter is visible eitherwhen the card is in its normal depending position or whenit is turned upward to its reverse position; to provide a construction in which the card is .detachably carried bv a. card-holder and.

"' when'in engagement therewith has an interlocking connection which will prevent the card from being accidentally pulled out of the holder;l to provide an improved signal' ing device for card indexes; to provide a card-holder and index s vstem which can be successfully employed with ordinaryv card s vstems so that the previously iwritten cards can be adapted to my improved construction without entireliv rewriting vsuch cards; and in general to provide a new and improved card index.v

The invention also resides in such details of construction and arrangements and combinations of parts as will more fully hereinafter appear. Y.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing a frame employing cards embodying my invention g Fig. 2 isl` an enlarged vertical section through one of the cards and its holder;

Fig. 3 is a view showing my invention applied to a slightly modified 'construction of holder;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional and C of the strip D. The latter view showing a modified construction of card;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a still further modification.

Describing in detail the c'nstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, A designatesA the holder or frame having side flanges B and B adapted to detachably receive the ends C is preferably flexible so that it can be bent to spring its ends beneath-the flanges B and. B" of the frame. This card is connected b v a flexible joint to the card-holder F. The strip D and the card-holder F are so proportioned that the cards, while arranged in overlapping relation. will be spaced or offset one above another sufficientlyr to expose a small portion of 4the lower end G of the cardholder. f

The'cards themselves are formed of paper or other suitable members H and are arranged to slide .endwise into the seat J formed at the lower end of the holder. As shown in Fig. 2 this scat is in the form of a U-shaped piece of celluloid or-other transparent material having its back J pasted or otherwise secured to the back of the lower edge of the card-holder. while its forward Ipart J2 is free from the card-holder but resiliently pressed toward the tace of the cardholder.

The arrangement of parts as above described is such that when the card Il is insertedl in the holder the name writtcnat the lower end ofthe card will be visible through the transparent material forming the holderl J. To facilitate the use of the cards and make the index naines also visible when the -cards are turned upward to the position of Fig. 1. I preferablyy the lower edge of the card.` This spacing is' suflicient to receive the flange K so that the Vtion are substituted for jeysteinsl already in edge of the latter strikes s uarely against the lower edge of the card, orming a positive shoulder abutment that will prevent the cardv frombein Withdrawn upward out of the holder. T ie recess formed by the transparent member being formed below the edge of the cardholder is also utilized for receiving a sliding signal device L which can be of any desired colored materiai. i

In" the modified construction shown in Fig. 3 the spacing between` the lower edge of the card-holder and the lower edge of the U- shaped member J is comparatively shallow, being just sufficient to permit the return-bent flange of thecard being inserted beneath the edge of the holder. -In this case the returnbent flange K extends upward beyond the lower edge of the cardliolder;'to pei-init the latter the (zelluloid member is pasted or othewisefsecured to the card-holder only aportion ofthe depth of the overlap. Inthis case the `Signaling device L is alsoeinployed in they saine mannerasthat described in loo nnection with Fig.' l. To facilitate ythe engagement of the card with its holder the lonjeredge of the card is preferably beveled atM.' 5 1 lfn place of employing a Card with the inv-tegral return-bcnt flange K there can be substituted a construction in which the-index names are .written on 'a narrow strip of paper, cloth or other suitable materialand lpatted to the loweredge oit' the card, as shown in Fig. 4. This construction has the advantage that where devices embody my inre`iiiise'the old cards can be empioyedby merely pasting them on the strip N. Also ifdesired the stri J may be formed :isla separato member() w ,ich is returnfbent and loosely fits over the lower edge oi" the Card7 asi'slioivn in Fig. 5. i l

Various changes, hon/ever, in the details` of construction andin the type and ari-angement of the'ca'rdsf canbe made 'within the scope of my invention.

v What I claim as my invention is;-

l. In acard index, the combination with a card-holder havinga .main body `portion and a traneparenty member secured to one odge mensa? alii card-holder having a main body portion and` a transparent member secured to one edge thereof5 of'a card having a return-bent flange forming -an interlock with the said edge of the main body portion, said card havingrindex data carried by its corresponding edge and its retiirnbeiit ange,and means for holding the cards in overlapped relation so that one of seid Visible. 1 I, 4. In a card index, the combination Withfa card-holder having a main body portion and ay transparent member secured to one edge thereof, of a card having a return-bent Hangeformingf an interlock with the said 'edge' of vthe main body portion, and a signaling device also retained Iby said transparent niem-v bei. i V

5. In a card index, the combination with a card-holder liavingzir a maiiibody portion and a transparent nii-imber secured to one edge thereof, oi a card having a retiirn-bentdlange forming an interlock with the said 'edge of fthe mainbody portion, and a signaling de# vcehaving a return-bent flange also inter- `locked with the said edge o'ffthe main' body portion.,. .1 f V- y Y 6, In a card indexgtlie combination Witha card-holder having; a main body portion and a transparent .member securedto one edge thereof, oi acard having' ita'.coriespondin,ify

I fila nge linterloclied witl'l .theenid `edge oiE the main bodyportionfoii'the cardjV-l'iolderf" indexportions is. alwaysl ist mi y

lntostimony whereof I sign'Murr-J.`r` i., i 

